It's Banned Books Week so I thought I'd share some of my favorite banned books. I'd love it if others did the same--I'll bet you've read at least one banned book, even if you didn't know it. Today's book is To Kill a Mockingbird. It has been banned in multiple cities across the US for decades. Most commonly cited reasons are for "profanity" and "racial slurs." How ironic that one of the best things about the book is that it helps us see the importance of overcoming small mindedness and prejudice. One summer (I think I was 15) my mother came into my room and handed me a black paperback with a bird on the cover. She said, "I just found this old book of mine, you should read it." With nothing else to do, I opened it and began. I had no idea the impact this book would have on my life. Let me put this in perspective: I was an "outsider" in a small town in North Florida, and racism was alive and well. I was somewhat depressed about being there and honestly, quite angry. Atticus Finch showed me that actions were just as important as words, and the only way to combat the ugliness in the world was with compassion and understanding. Anger and hate just lead to more of the same. Scout made me feel like it was normal that I didn't like wearing dresses and never thought twice about fighting with boys (sorry, Michael). And through Boo Radley, I realized that small town talk may damage a person's reputation but not their character (I still carry a trinket given to me by Joe Creekmore as a thank you for my kindness). When I finished the book, I immediately turned back to the first page and began reading again.